Items filtered by date: March 2025

• When preparing for a long hike, paying extra attention to your toenails is essential to prevent painful ingrown nails. Regular trimming is vital. Clip nails straight across to avoid curvature that pushes skin. Keeping nails short reduces friction inside boots and prevents nail edges from embedding into surrounding tissue. Moisturize cuticles daily and use a gentle file to smooth rough edges, ensuring proper alignment and comfort. After trimming, allow nails to dry thoroughly and inspect them for signs of irritation. Proper care and proactive maintenance enable you to enjoy hiking adventures free from discomfort and setbacks, ensuring your feet remain healthy and resilient along every challenging trail. For persistent issues, unusual nail shapes, or ingrown toenails, it is suggested that you consult a podiatrist to receive expert advice tailored to your needs.

Ingrown toenails can become painful if they are not treated properly. For more information about ingrown toenails, contact Brain Middleton, DPM of Medical Foot Care Center. Our doctor can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when a toenail grows sideways into the bed of the nail, causing pain, swelling, and possibly infection.

Causes

• Bacterial infections
• Improper nail cutting such as cutting it too short or not straight across
• Trauma to the toe, such as stubbing, which causes the nail to grow back irregularly
• Ill-fitting shoes that bunch the toes too close together
• Genetic predisposition

Prevention

Because ingrown toenails are not something found outside of shoe-wearing cultures, going barefoot as often as possible will decrease the likeliness of developing ingrown toenails. Wearing proper fitting shoes and using proper cutting techniques will also help decrease your risk of developing ingrown toenails.

Treatment

Ingrown toenails are a very treatable foot condition. In minor cases, soaking the affected area in salt or antibacterial soaps will not only help with the ingrown nail itself, but also help prevent any infections from occurring. In more severe cases, surgery is an option. In either case, speaking to your podiatrist about this condition will help you get a better understanding of specific treatment options that are right for you.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Rome, GA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

Arthroscopic ankle surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that allows a podiatrist to diagnose and repair damaged tissues in the ankle joint. Using a small camera called an arthroscope, the podiatrist can assess the condition of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons through small incisions. This method is commonly used to treat ligament tears, loose bone or cartilage fragments, and scar tissue that may be causing pain or limiting movement. Ankle arthroscopy can also help reduce discomfort caused by arthritis or impingement, where swollen tissues restrict joint motion. The procedure involves inserting surgical instruments through additional small incisions to repair or remove damaged structures. Compared to open surgery, arthroscopy generally results in less pain and a shorter recovery time. However, healing can vary depending on the severity of the damage and the extent of the repair. A podiatrist can evaluate whether arthroscopic ankle surgery is appropriate and provide guidance on the recovery process. If you would like more information about arthroscopic ankle repair, it is suggested that you schedule an appointment with a podiatrist for an exam and treatment options.

Ankle pain can be caused by a number of problems and may be potentially serious. If you have ankle pain, consult with Brain Middleton, DPM from Medical Foot Care Center. Our doctor will assess your condition and provide you with quality foot and ankle treatment.

Ankle pain is any condition that causes pain in the ankle. Due to the fact that the ankle consists of tendons, muscles, bones, and ligaments, ankle pain can come from a number of different conditions.

Causes

The most common causes of ankle pain include:

• Types of arthritis (rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, and gout)
• Ankle sprains
• Broken ankles
• Achilles tendonitis
• Achilles tendon rupture
• Stress fractures
• Bursitis
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome
• Plantar fasciitis

Symptoms

Symptoms of ankle injury vary based upon the condition. Pain may include general pain and discomfort, swelling, aching, redness, bruising, burning or stabbing sensations, and/or loss of sensation.

Diagnosis

Due to the wide variety of potential causes of ankle pain, podiatrists will utilize a number of different methods to properly diagnose ankle pain. This can include asking for personal and family medical histories and of any recent injuries. Further diagnosis may include sensation tests, a physical examination, and potentially x-rays or other imaging tests.

Treatment

Just as the range of causes varies widely, so do treatments. Some more common treatments are rest, ice packs, keeping pressure off the foot, orthotics and braces, medication for inflammation and pain, and surgery.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Rome, GA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.